The World According to Teddy
by 0WolfMoon0
Summary: Teddy Lupin is ready to head off to the world of Hogwarts! He doesn't know what's ahead of him, but he knows that he will make his parents proud. Even if people aren't all they're cracked up to be. Even if he is actually terrified out of his wits. Teddy Lupin will not fail. After all, when you're raised by the man who defeated Voldemort, how bad can it be?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Platform 9 ¾

**A/N: Thanks for opening my fanfiction! A special thank you to anyone who follows the fic or puts me on their alert! I post my chapters as they become completed and do not hesitate to tell me if something is incorrect! Now, with that said… as a disclaimer note that I don't own the Harry Potter universe and if I did, I probably wouldn't be publishing on the interwebs, the only things I own are the plot line and my O.C.'s. If my story is similar to ones you've read, note that I typically don't read Teddy fanfiction, simply because I have a distinct idea of what his time at Hogwarts was like. And here is that idea, on technological paper, for you to enjoy! Thanks! –Wolfie**

Teddy woke up with a start as the boy he considered a younger brother pounded on his bedroom door. That four year old gets up too early for his own good, thought Teddy as he looked at the clock, which read 7:30 AM. With a groan, he flipped over onto his belly and pulled his pillow over his head, wishing that he was still at his grandmother's house. James persisted in his pounding, yelling something that Teddy muffled out with his pillow. Trying to get back to sleep soon became impossible as James was joined by three-year-old Albus, and the two pounded on the door together.

Throwing his pillow at the door, like that would do any good, he heard their chants of "Teddy! Teddy, wake up!" through the door. It made him smile a little bit, but only a little. Succumbing to the little voices, Teddy got out of bed and opened the door, which Harry had set to lock from the outside after the second time James had gotten in to draw on his face with a permanent-ink quill. Upon opening the door, Teddy was rightly tackled by the two small boys and Ginny, who had been standing behind the boys the entire time, laughed.

As James and Albus settled to hanging onto Teddy's legs, Teddy managed to stand up and half-scowl at Ginny. While she was like a mother to him, he couldn't remember for the life of him why she was having him woken at such an hour. "Well, now that you're up you can come downstairs for some breakfast," Ginny smiled at him. "Today is going to be a big day, and there's no better way to start than breakfast!" Perking up at the mention of breakfast, the little boys who clung to Teddy's legs jumped off and ran downstairs with little shouts of "BREAKFAST!" and "I want PANCAKES!"

"Can breakfast not wait until later… when it's actually a decent time to wake up… like noon?" Teddy questioned, although he was fully awake. At this Ginny laughed and Teddy, who was just waking up realised why. "IT'S SEPTEMBER 1ST!" he shouted suddenly, making Ginny laugh again. Teddy rushed down the stairs behind his adoptive brothers and saw Harry sitting at the table with his biological children.

Looking up from trying to get Lily, who was all of one year old, to eat her cereal, his godfather beamed at him. "There's my boy! Going off to Hogwarts today!" Harry said, getting up from the table and wrapping Teddy in a hug. Teddy's face blushed red, his hair changing to a shade of red even deeper than his face. Stepping back, Harry mussed it up and grinned. Ginny stood in the doorway, watching the scene play out.

Sitting at his usual place at the table, Teddy piled his plate high with pancakes and sausages, both his favourites as Ginny very well knew. Chowing down on his breakfast, Teddy couldn't help but wish his grandmother were here. Gran Dromeda, as she liked to be called, had moved to France some five years earlier because she couldn't handle the house and country in which she had lost nearly her entire family any more. In leaving, Teddy was left in the custody of his loving godfather, Harry, and his wife, Ginny, and couldn't ask for a better family.

Lost in thought and food, Teddy hardly noticed when the owl post came, bringing Harry's copy of the Daily Prophet and any assorted mail that the family received. Harry handed a letter to Teddy while skimming the front page of the Prophet, and Teddy smiled to see that it was from Gran Dromeda. He knew she would remember that today he was heading to Hogwarts in all of his 11 year old glory. As the little boys talked about quidditch, by far a favourite topic of theirs though they barely knew anything about it, and Lily resorted to throwing her food across the table at various family members, Teddy opened the letter, eager to read what was inside.

_Dearest Teddy,_

_Though I am in France on this ever-important day, know that my thoughts travel with you wherever you go. Know that it does not matter where you are sorted as long as you don't forget the boy the Potters and I have raised you to be. You are brave, intelligent, and loyal, and we will all be proud no matter where you are sorted._

_I know how upset you must be that I haven't been present for the past years in your life, but know that you mean the world to me! Your parents would be so proud of who you have become._

_With love,_

_Gran Dromeda_

Teddy smiled to himself as he finished reading the short, albeit kind, letter from his grandmother. Harry smiled at his godson knowingly, having recognised the handwriting instantly. Forty-five minutes after his rude awakening, Teddy ran back upstairs to his room to finish last-minute packing. He knew that Harry, who had recently acquired a muggle driver's license, would want to drive all the way to King's Cross Station, so he hurriedly threw a few stray books and pyjamas into his trunk and slammed it shut. Rushing back down the stairs, he was surprised to see something waiting at his place at the kitchen table.

"That's odd," he thought. "I put away my dishes…" Walking closer, Teddy noticed that it was a journal. Harry, sitting fully clothed and ready to leave for the station, was sitting at the table, waiting for Teddy to come back down, but Teddy barely noticed him.

"Your father left it for you," Harry said. Teddy jumped at the sudden sound in the relatively quiet house. "Well, in his will it's to you, but in care of me. I think he and your mother must have filled it with notes, knowing that they might not make it through the war." Teddy noticed his godfather starting to get teary-eyed, like he always did when he talked about Teddy's parents.

Walking over to hug his godfather, Teddy smiled. "Thank you, Harry." At this, Harry smiled and accepted the 11-year-old's hug. Harry was the closest thing to a father that Teddy had ever known, and he couldn't imagine what could be hidden in the pages of the journal.

Pulling out of the hug, Harry addressed him again. "I thought you should have it before you leave for Hogwarts, since there is so much that you don't know about your parents."

Teddy interrupted his godfather, bothered by his statements. "But I know lots about mom and dad! Like, Dad was a Marauder or something and played pranks at Hogwarts and Mom had hair like mine and Dad's friends were all animagi!" Harry smiled at this.

"Yes, you do know much," he replied. "But many things Ginny, Andromeda, and I kept from you because you were too young. Now, you're going to Hogwarts and there are people there who may know more about your parents than you." Harry looked at Teddy seriously. "Your parents were heroes. Your father, one of the bravest men I've ever known. Let his words guide you."

Left speechless, Teddy nodded and hugged the journal to his chest. Then, he thought it best to put it into his trunk. Harry smiled, checked the time, and sighed. "Well squirt, looks like we'll have to apparate. This conversation has taken longer than I thought it would. Go say goodbye to Ginny and the kids!"

Running around the house, Teddy found the rest of his family in the game room playing a game of exploding snap, but the kid friendly version where the cards didn't explode. "I have to go now…" Teddy said, the finality of leaving settling on him. He stood in the doorway, realising that he wouldn't return to this house until Christmas break. The realisation nearly broke his excitement to leave, and he became very scared to leave when his siblings crushed him with hugs, even little Lily hobbled over to hug him goodbye.

"Do you has to go?" asked Albus, who always loved to get Teddy to change his hair colour. James nodded in agreement.

Sighing, Teddy changed his hair to bubble-gum pink before replying. "If I wasn't serious, would my hair be pink?" The little boys clapped their hands and Teddy was heartbroken for leaving them. Lily had hobbled back to where she was playing with blocks. "You kiddos be good, you hear me? Or else I'll send you a sock for your birthday!"

"Ew!" the boys cried, before they agreed and went back to their card game. Ginny walked over, smiling.

"Nervous?" she asked kindly. Teddy had always loved when Ginny calmed him down, he felt in-control when the woman he looked to as a mother talked to him.

"Super-duper nervous to be exact…" he replied honestly. Ginny nodded and wrapped him into a warm hug. The hug helped him regain his confidence, as his mother figure held him out at arm's length in front of her. She looked at him like he was growing up, and he figured that she would never read him "Babbitty-Rabbitty" when he couldn't fall asleep again, and he realised that he was almost okay with that.

"Stay out of trouble, write home lots, and remember that we will always love you, even if you end up in Slytherin." She smiled wryly before ruffling his hair. "Also, are you sure you want to show up at King's Cross with pink hair?" Teddy blushed before turning his hair to a more neutral shade of sandy-blonde. This made Ginny contemplative.

"You know, Teddy. When you turn your hair like that, you look just like your father," said Ginny, before pulling him in for another hug. "When you get to the platform, you can be bright blue for all I care. Just take care of yourself and do not forget to write! Now go, Harry's sure to be waiting for you." With those final words, Ginny straightened up, kissed the top of Teddy's head, and sent him back downstairs to go to the platform with Harry.

Harry was waiting patiently when Teddy returned downstairs and walked into the sitting room. When he got there, Teddy took one more, long, sweeping look at his home in Godric's Hollow. He saw the collection of muggle movies next to a muggle television that Harry and Ginny loved to spend time with the kids watching, the large fireplace that they used to go to Grandma Molly's house for dinner every Saturday and for lunch every Sunday with the whole Weasley clan, and the stack of magazines for which Ginny was editor.

After Teddy had taken in his home, he and Harry walked outside along the garden path. Extending his hand to Teddy for him to take, Harry reminded him, as always, to "hold on tight and not let go for anything."

Once the two got right outside the garden gate, Teddy tightened his grip and Harry turned on one heel, bringing them to King's Cross Station. Depositing the trunk onto a trolley, Harry led Teddy to the barrier to platform 9 ¾ and grinned.

Leaning over Teddy's shoulder, Harry whispered, "How do you think we get to the platform?" Teddy, turning to face his godfather shrugged. Grinning mischievously, Harry explained. "Run straight at the wall between platforms 9 and 10. When I say go, ok?"

Staring at his godfather as though the man had gone mad, Teddy was for the first time that day genuinely afraid. However, Harry grabbed his hand, signalling that they were to do the run together, and Teddy felt his confidence surge again. He was armed with his father's journal, a letter from his grandmother, and an owl named Tracy (after one of Ginny's favourite movie musicals). Teddy knew he was going to be just fine this year.

"One… Two… Three… go!" Harry counted down and the two took off running at the barrier between the platforms. When they passed through the wall, Teddy experience the view of platform 9 ¾ for the first time. He looked wide eyed at the scarlet train that was the Hogwarts Express and all the students running around to see their friends. He even saw a few students who had already changed into their school robes! Noticing the time, Teddy realised that he had only three more minutes with his godfather.

The two walked over to the train and Harry helped Teddy lift his trunk into the overhead of an empty compartment. Teddy was excited for the adventure, this was his first time doing something without Harry or Ginny or the other members of the Weasley family. The whistle that signalled one minute until departure rang out and Harry bent down to hug his godson.

"You look just like your father," Harry observed, and in that moment Teddy felt very proud of who he was. "Now, you be good and make us proud. I love you, squirt!" Teddy smiled as Harry affectionately ruffled his hair.

Laughing, Teddy responded, "I love you too, Harry! And I will make you proud!" With those words, his godfather smiled and exited the train just as it began to move. Teddy watched and waved as Harry walked all the way down the platform, waving goodbye to the first child he would have to watch whisked away to his adventures at Hogwarts.

Once the platform was out of sight, Teddy pulled his head back into the compartment, quite aware that he had turned his hair bright blue again. Not afraid of anything that anyone had to say, he pulled out his grandmother's letter and read it again. "You are brave, intelligent, and loyal, and we will all be proud no matter where you are sorted," his grandmother had said. And in that moment, Teddy felt like he was ready to let the full gravity of what was happening sink in.

"I will make my parents proud, both pairs of them," he thought, referring to Remus and Tonks as well as Harry and Ginny. And he felt ready to take on the world. "Look out, Hogwarts," he thought. "Here I come!"

**A/N: PS review please! I tend to give up on stories if nobody tells me I'm doing well… *blush* until next time, my sweets!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Let me just disclaim this chapter as not being at all possible without the insanely amazing mind of J.K. Rowling! All of what I write wouldn't be possible without her amazing writing that started everything!**

Chapter 2

Teddy, expecting the ride to be long and uneventful, stood to pull a book out of his trunk when he glanced out the window of his compartment into the hallway. He saw two boys, about his age, gaping at him. Suddenly becoming self-conscious of his now bright blue hair, showing that he was happy, he returned it to the sandy-blonde colour that had been his father's and heard a few slight gasps from outside.

One of the boys, a young man with distinctly blonde hair burst into the compartment. "How did you do that?!" the boy exclaimed. His friend, who had followed him in, nodded his head vigorously.

Shrugging, Teddy replied, "I've just always been able to do it. Gran told me that I get it from my mother."

"Seriously wicked!" the blonde boy exclaimed again. The other boy, who was fairly short and had red hair with tons of freckles, again nodded his agreement. Sitting down on the bench across from Teddy, the two boys settled in and Teddy realised that he wasn't going to get any quiet reading time on this train ride.

"I'm Martin, and this is Charlie. I met Charlie on the station when I nearly tripped over him, and he doesn't really talk that much," the blonde boy, Martin said. Charlie blushed at this description of him.

"I do talk… I just don't always have a lot to say," Charlie said quietly. The two then looked up at Teddy, expecting an introduction.

"Well, I'm Teddy and I haven't really made friends that much before. I mean, Harry and Ginny made me go to Muggle School before Hogwarts, but people are just kinda hard…"

Martin scrunched up his face. "Surely you must know somebody on the train? Like, I have my cousins but they're all older and think I'm annoying." Teddy shook his head and the two boys grinned. "Well, now you've got us!" Martin smiled and Charlie nodded.

"What house do you guys wanna be in? I wanna be a Gryffindor like my granddad and uncle and them. Everyone in the Prewett family goes to Gryffindor." Charlie had gained a lot of confidence in the course of the short conversation.

"I'm going to Gryffindor too!" Martin exclaimed. "Martin Dearborn, the brave and chivalrous! Has a ring to it, doesn't it?" Charlie and Martin then directed their attention to Teddy. It made Teddy almost uncomfortable when they did that. The two may have only just met, but they obviously shared one mind.

"Well… my mum was a Hufflepuff and my dad was a Gryffindor, but my gran was in Slytherin. Harry and Ginny and their whole family went to Gryffindor, and I wouldn't mind being a Ravenclaw…" Teddy shrugged. "I guess I don't know where I want to go."

Teddy suddenly noticed a look of recognition cross Martin's face. "Harry and Ginny Potter?" He exclaimed. "That's so cool! What's it like, growing up with them?" Charlie's eyes lit up as well and the two waited intently to hear what Teddy had to say.

The boy in question felt his ears and hair turning bright red as the question made him blush intensely. "Well… they really like muggle movies, and we're just like any family really. Except when Harry or Ginny take me and James and Albus and Lily anywhere, there are always people asking for pictures or autographs or something. It's annoying."

Martin and Charlie gaped at Teddy's admission that the famous Harry Potter was just a normal guy. Teddy should have seen that coming. He knew that Harry and Ginny were famous, he just never viewed them as the figures other people seemed to expect them to be. They had raised him to be good and honest and brave.

"So they're just… normal?" Charlie asked, disappointed slightly. He was then promptly elbowed by Martin, who whispered, "Don't be so insensitive!"

Chuckling, Teddy replied. "Yeah, basically. It's always fun when he takes me out to the practice pitch we have. I'm gonna be a chaser one day! Just like Ginny!"

"That's so cool!" The other boys grinned, before dropping the topic. The attention span of 11-year-olds is truly that of a puppy dog.

"So who here collects chocolate frog cards? Because I NEED the Battle of Hogwarts cards! Like, it's a physical need." Charlie asked, pulling a small stack from the pocket of his muggle hoodie. Teddy and Martin both grinned, before pulling out stacks of their own from their trunk and pockets respectively.

Probably half of that train ride was spent trading the chocolate frog cards, their trading pausing only when they got goodies off the snack cart (including more chocolate frogs) and to change into their robes. Of course, they also had to pause when Martin's toad, Gregory, somehow got loose in the compartment. Charlie was trading tooth and nail to try and get the entire "Battle of Hogwarts" special edition cards from Teddy (who had them all, and duplicates of most), but Teddy was being a tough sale. Half the people on those cards had been over to the Potter's at one point or another just for catching up, and they reminded him of home.

"Seriously man, I'll give you a Remus Lupin card for that Fred Weasley card!" Charlie was yelling, when Teddy's eyes grew wide at the mention.

Gulping, Teddy took the card to examine it. The man in the picture looked exactly like the man in the picture that was framed on his bedside table, now residing in his trunk. "Yeah, sure…" Teddy said, looking at the card in awe. He knew that his father was a hero of the Battle of Hogwarts, but he never imagined the man being on a chocolate frog card. Handing over the card with the ginger man he considered an uncle, Teddy flipped the card from his father's likeness to a small summary of the man, the voices of his new friends fading as he read.

_Remus John Lupin, aged 38 at death, was a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a former Gryffindor at said school, and a hero of the Battle of Hogwarts. The man was a Prefect at the school at the time, despite his lycanthropy and association with the troublemaking group, the Marauders. At the age of 37, he married Nymphadora Tonks, and together the pair had one son, Edward Remus Lupin. Lupin was a known member of the Order of the Phoenix, and took on the name of Romulus on Potterwatch during the second Wizarding War. His patronus was a wolf and he was involved in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, as well as the Battle of Hogwarts. Remus was the first werewolf to receive a post-mortem Order-of-Merlin, First Class._

Upon reading the card, Teddy wiped tears from his eyes and grabbed for a chocolate frog. Chocolate always helped to calm him down when he was upset. He knew his dad was amazing, but he had never aspired to be him. Charlie looked up from digging in his collection to put the Fred card where it belonged in his stacks as he noticed a slight sob escape Teddy.

"You alright, mate?" he asked, drawing the attention of Martin who was trying to drag Gregory out from under a seat.

Teddy shook his head and wiped away his tears. "I'm fine, really!" But his friends didn't believe him. Sighing, Teddy pulled the picture of his father out of his trunk and showed the two the likeness of his father in both the picture of him as a baby and on the chocolate frog card. Charlie's mouth dropped open.

"NO WAY! Lupin, that is wicked cool!" Martin shouted. "My uncle is a werewolf and he tells me all about the leaps society is making because of this guy, YOUR DAD'S influence!" Teddy realised that he was going to have to get used to his friend's outbursts as he smiled down at his father's likeness. Charlie was lost for words, a boy who obsessed over the history of the Battle of Hogwarts, which Teddy had recently discovered.

"Yeah, my dad is pretty cool," Teddy said with a smile as he packed away the framed picture, tucking the chocolate frog card into his pocket. 'I'll make you proud, dad,' he thought. 'I promise.'

After tucking away the picture and the card, Teddy locked eyes with Charlie and taunted him, stating, "Now, I don't know if I should tell you this, but I have an extra Neville Longbottom card…" Holding said card in his hand, Teddy was then tackled by Charlie and their intense trading session continued until they felt the train slow down.

Glancing out the window sometime around 7 PM, the boys caught their first glimpse of Hogsmeade. They quickly packed up their cards, Charlie obviously satisfied at the number of Battle of Hogwarts collection cards he had obtained from Teddy, and continued to stare out the window until they felt the train lurch to a stop. Teddy couldn't contain his excitement, his hair turning a bright ginger, making him look like a Weasley, or like Charlie for that matter.

Addressing said ginger, Teddy asked, "Hey Prewett? Are you related to the Weasleys? Just 'cause… your hair…" Insensitive, he knew, but then again nobody was as ginger as a Weasley.

Blushing a characteristic Weasley red, he replied, "Distantly, Molly Weasley is like a really distant cousin and she married a Weasley. I remember her coming to some event or another with a swarm of red-haired adults who she said were her kids."

"Charlie! We're practically related!" Teddy shouted. He knew he'd liked Charlie for a reason. "Ginny is a Weasley," he explained with a grin. Charlie grinned back and then they were tackled by Martin.

"Oi! I'm still here you know! Me in all my glory of having three sisters, but no relation to you awesome people!" He alerted them to his presence very overtly. The three boys grinned as they brushed off their school robes and walked into the corridor and out to the station at the direction of a school prefect, who told them to "leave their bags on the train and head on down the platform." As they walked along the platform, they heard a shout of a somewhat elderly, very large man.

"Firs' years, this way! All firs' years over here!" was the call of 11 ½ foot tall Professor Hagrid. Teddy grinned upon seeing him and started to rush toward him when he realised that his friends weren't following.

Turning around to see the shock and fear in their eyes, Teddy questioned, "Are you coming?" This seemed to snap them out of their fear as they grinned and ran toward Hagrid.

Martin leaned over Teddy's shoulder and asked quietly, "Do you know him too?" Teddy's face blushed slightly and he struggled to keep his hair a neutral sandy-blonde. He had never been good with attention, and being Harry Potter's godson had always seemed to bring on a lot of it. Charlie turned his head to face Teddy too, both obviously wondering if they should be afraid of the half-giant or not.

"Yeah, that's just Hagrid," he explained, defeated under their curious gazes as they walked toward the booming voice of the gamekeeper and Professor of Care of Magical Creatures. "He wouldn't hurt a fly, literally." Having also answered the obvious but unvoiced question, Martin and Charlie visibly relaxed as they approached Hagrid.

Being the man that he was, Hagrid bent down and gave Teddy a one-armed hug and smiled. "Teddy! How are Harry and the squirts?" he inquired, pausing in his summoning of the first years to address the young man. The other two looked on as Teddy exchanged pleasantries with a man who looked both huge and old as the castle was sure to.

"Everyone's good, Hagrid. This is Martin Dearborn and Charlie Prewett, by the way." Hagrid smiled down at the two boys, having obviously just noticed them.

"Well hello there!" he boomed cheerfully, earning a slight squeak from Charlie that sounded almost like "Hello" and a brave face from Martin, who smiled as way of saying hello.

"Say, Hagrid," Teddy asked. "Why are we going to opposite way as everyone else? I thought we were going to the castle."

Beaming largely, Hagrid drew himself to full height again, saying, "You'll see in a moment." Then continuing to lead his pack of first years with calls of "Firs' years! O'er here, firs' years!" Teddy, Charlie, and Martin slowly noticed that Hagrid was leading them to the side of a very large lake, in which there were lots of little boats. Hagrid then turned to address the group of nervous first years.

"All right then, four to a boat, no more and no less," he said cheerily, taking up one of the boats all by himself. Teddy, Charlie, and Martin all climbed into one boat, and were joined by an extremely short girl with pitch black hair.

"I'm Avery," She introduced nonchalantly. "Avery Lewis. Do any of you know what to expect? I'm so nervous!" The boys each introduced themselves before Martin answered her question.

"My dad told me that it's huge and that the ghosts are friendly and that I would love it!" Martin gushed about how wonderful it must be and Teddy grumbled to himself that he hadn't gotten a chance to start the copy of _Hogwarts, a History_ that Hermione had gotten him for his birthday earlier that year in May.

"Wow," said Avery quietly as the boats all lurched into movement. Charlie pointed to Hagrid, who was holding a pink umbrella in one hand as though it were a wand.

Teddy laughed at the observation. "Harry says he was expelled as a third year and keeps his wand in there." While Teddy shrugged, he could tell that he had just put Martin and Charlie back on edge about the whole extremely-large man business.

Avery shuddered at the thought. "I would hate to be expelled and have to go home to boring old regular school. School with non-magical kids is so boring! It's so good that he gets to stay here though."

"Wait, you went to Muggle school?" Charlie asked, obviously home-schooled in the arts of being magic until his Hogwarts letter came. Avery blushed at this.

"Well, my parents aren't magic, so when the man, Professor Fenwick, came to tell us it was a bit of a shock." Avery blushed again. "I knew I was different after turning the teacher's hair purple." She grinned at the memory, then looked over at Teddy whose hair had turned purple. "HOW DID YOU DO THAT?" she exclaimed.

"It's genetic," he grinned, simply glad to make the pensive girl smile. She had seemed so jittery to him, even though he barely knew more than her name. He heard Martin and Charlie snickering at his hair, so he returned it to sandy-blonde. It was by far the best look for him, he thought.

Just as the 11-year-olds had fallen into an easy conversation (well as easy as explaining quidditch to a muggle-born can be) when the boats lurched to a stop on the shore. Hagrid again led the group of 40 or so first years up to the castle and into the entrance hall. The entrance hall was enormous, and when the students looked up they could see a moving maze of staircases going up seven or more stories. On the walls of the hall were pictures that looked like fallen warriors protecting the school, and he could tell by the look on Charlie's face that they were the fallen of the Battle of Hogwarts, standing sentry at the great school.

Teddy was shocked out of his dazedness as he suddenly heard the older kids through a large door that lie ahead of him, but blocking that door was a short man with thinning hair and a severe demeanour. "I see the first years are here again, Hagrid," said the man.

"Now, Mr. Filch I don't see why you're not in the Great Hall," Hagrid replied to the man, Mr. Filch, while gesturing with his head to the door behind the man. "Or are you here to terrorise the firs' years 'cause of Mrs. Norris?"

The first years all looked at each other confused until their explanation came as Filch said, "You would feel the same if you had a cat who you loved die. Like when Fang eventually leaves the living." Mr. Filch glared at the first years, causing many of them to cringe under his scrutiny. "They look like a rule abiding bunch, but nonetheless let's hope that Profes-"

Filch was cut off by the opening of the door behind him, as he looked around embarrassed to see one of the professors standing right behind him. "Professor Jones," the man squeaked as he and Hagrid slipped past the suddenly present woman into the Great Hall. "We'll leave them in your capable hands." Once the door closed behind her, Professor Jones' face broke out in a warm smile.

"Welcome, all of you, to Hogwarts," the willowy woman said, with her smile quelling the fear that was present in the faces of some of Teddy's classmates. "Now, I'm Professor Jones, as I'm sure you heard from our caretaker Mr Filch. I am the professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts here at Hogwarts, and am also the Deputy Headmistress, so if there is any rule-breaking you will likely be seeing me instead of our Headmaster. Now, take a moment to compose yourself and we will join your classmates in the Great Hall for the Sorting Ceremony."

The first years began to mill about, some of them worried about what house they'd be in, others worried what the Ceremony would be, and then there were the few muggle-borns, like Avery. Avery was fairly composed until Professor Jones mentioned the Sorting Ceremony.

Grabbing the arms of Charlie and Martin and pulling their heads down toward hers (as they were significantly taller than the average 11 year old, and Avery was slightly shorter), she whispered frantically in the ears of them, and Teddy who stood right by.

"Sorting Ceremony? What is that? Oh gosh, Professor Fenwick did mention houses, but I didn't know we'd have to do something to get into one!" Avery was frankly panicking and Charlie and Teddy looked frantically to Martin, the only one with sisters near enough his age to know what to do.

Martin tried his best to calm the girl down. "Look, Avery, it's gonna be ok. It's not a test you can study for and I assure you that you will be fine. Just… take a deep breath? Yeah, do that!" As he patted her back, Martin turned to face his friends and mouthed 'I think I'm doing this right.' Or it may have been 'I'm gonna kill you' for all the other two knew. Teddy and Charlie exchanged a look and both gave their other friend two thumbs up. Martin just scowled at them and continued trying to soothe Avery.

Just a moment after Avery seemed to have regained her composure, Professor Jones looked at her watch and commanded the kids' attention as she opened the doors to the Great Hall and the first years followed in awe.

Teddy could not keep the awe off his face (or his hair, as it tinted blue at the tips slightly) as he looked up at the enchanted ceiling that looked like the sky outside, clear blue with a radiant full moon. He looked at the long tables filled with people and the long table at the front where the teachers were seated. Martin and Charlie, walking beside Teddy, had similar emotions play across their face, but the three boys were nothing compared to Avery, who was absolutely beaming at everything she saw from the ceiling to the floating candles to the large, golden podium that rested toward the middle of the stage upon which the staff table sat.

After they had made it all the way up to the front of the Great Hall (which Teddy figured was named "great" because of the sheer size of it), Professor Jones placed a stool with a beat up, tattered, old hat upon it in front of the podium. Teddy and his friends, as well as the other first years, looked around the hall to see everyone sitting on bated breath, staring with anticipation at that hat.

Suddenly the first years realised why, as they jumped at the voice that was coming from that tattered, old hat… singing! Teddy was so taken aback by a singing hat that he missed half of what the hat was singing about. What he did hear was all about the different houses and how apparently they wore the hat and it told them where they would spend the next 7 years of their life.

Once the hat's song had ended, the entire hall burst out in roaring applause. And once the roaring applause had ended, Professor Jones unrolled a long scroll and cleared her throat. "When I call your name, you will come up here, sit on the stool, and place the hat on your head. The rest will be self-explanatory." She smiled at them again.

"Argola, Linsey," she announced, and a small, timid looking girl walked up to the stage. Professor Jones set the hat on the girl's head and after a minute of apparent decision, the hat shouted out to the Hall "HUFFLEPUFF!" and a table in the middle and to the left broke out in large cheers. The professor took the hat from Linsey's head as the girl skipped over to the table that had cheered and sat down where a seat had been proffered.

And so on went the Sorting, which Teddy lost track of until he heard the call of "Dearborn, Martin." Martin held his head high and walked up to the stage, having the hat settle on his head. After nearly two minutes of deliberation, the hat decidedly yelled, "GRYFFINDOR!" and the table to the far right broke out in loud, raucous cheering. Running off to the table so quickly that he forgot to take the hat off his head, he returned the hat to the professor, who was laughing along with many others in the hall.

Teddy again spaced the Sorting until he heard another name he recognised. "Lewis, Avery." Squeezing his upper arm, more for her own comfort than his, Avery took a seat on the stool and the hat deliberated for some time. It was nearly five minutes before the hat decided that Avery belonged in "RAVENCLAW!" Another one of the middle tables, this time the one closer to the right, cheered as the girl carefully handed the hat to Professor Jones and took her place at the Ravenclaw table, sending glances at her new friends still waiting and at the Gryffindor table.

Far too soon after (at least, in Teddy's opinion), he heard his own name called. "Lupin, Edward," called Professor Jones. Teddy could see more than a few raised eyebrows as his name was called and he realised that he was being noticed. He walked up to the stage and sat almost timidly on the stool. The hat was lowered onto his head and his hair, now hidden by the large mass of fabric, turned a sickly shade of green.

Then, Teddy heard a voice in his head. _"Hmm, what have we here, a mind that would do very well in Ravenclaw… but alas, you are too headstrong for Ravenclaw… Perhaps in Hufflepuff, you do seem to have a soft spot in you for loyalty… _Teddy gulped at the voice in his head, evidently the Sorting Hat, sifting through aspects of his mind and personality. To keep his sanity, he chanted silently to himself, "make my father proud." _oh but that is roaring well above all the rest. Your true courage shining through right there. While you have the heart of a Hufflepuff and the mind of a Ravenclaw, there is only one place where you belong. Right like your father, in _"GRYFFINDOR!"

It took Teddy a second to realise that the last word was shouted out loud and his hair reverted to a plain brown in relief. Professor Jones smiled and pulled the hat off his head as a loud uproar came from the Gryffindor table where he took a seat next to Martin and the two of them waited for the Sorting to end.

The two were joined by Joey Nigellus and Christine Opitz before they heard another name they cared about. "Prewett, Charlie." Walked up onto the stage with a confident swagger. The hat had barely touched his head before it shouted "GRYFFINDOR" to the whooping shouts of the upperclassmen around them and the two boys themselves.

Martin and Teddy made room between them, where Charlie sat down and the three grinned madly at one another as a few final people were sorted. After Wilkes, Peter was sorted into Slytherin, Professor Jones rolled up the scroll, and picked up the stool with the Sorting Hat and placed both in a room adjoining the Great Hall. Once she took her seat, the man seated at the centre of the staff table stood and made his way to the podium.

"Welcome students!" the man ("Headmaster Fenwick" exclaimed Martin) said jovially. "Welcome to another magic-filled year at Hogwarts where we hope to fill your brains at least a little more full than when you got here!" Professor Fenwick smiled at the student body. "A note to first years, and a reminder to returning students, that the Dark Forest is strictly off limits, as is the rest of the school after curfew. Now that we have that out of the way, dig in!"

With those final words, Professor Fenwick sat down and the platters in the middle of the table magically filled with food. Teddy heard a gasp of "incredible!" from behind him and suddenly felt bad that they weren't with Avery. 'Well,' he thought. 'We'll just have to hang out with her at breakfast tomorrow.' And then, he, Charlie, and Martin chowed down on their first meal at Hogwarts, starved from their rather inadequate lunch that had consisted of chocolate frogs and a few cauldron cakes.

After the amount of food that they ate, including an insane and probably right unhealthy amount of desert, it was a surprise to the three of them when Professor Fenwick expected them to be somewhat awake enough for "Prefects to show students to their dormitories and everyone have a good night."

A Prefect, Maurice Chang, led the group of twelve first years and a huddle of older years up an utterly confusing series of stairwells and through endless corridors up to what must have been the seventh floor and to a stop in front of a portrait of a Fat Lady. To the Fat Lady, Maurice delivered the password of "gillyweed" and the portrait swung forward to reveal the Gryffindor common room.

The five male first years and seven females were far too knackered to take any notice of the cosy room, Teddy only barely glanced at the comfy couches and warm fireplace before he felt so knackered he could fall asleep on his feet.

And then, Maurice felt it would be a good idea to talk to them, addressing the first years briefly and directly. "Boy's dormitory is the stairwell to the left, girls to the right. Boys, please do not try to go to the girls' rooms, don't say I didn't warn you if you do. Your dormitories will be the first door to your left or right, respective to which stairwell you ascend. Your trunks and things have already been deposited there." He smiled tiredly. "Breakfast ends at 9, when classes start. Do try not to be late. You'll get your timetables at breakfast. Remember, since tomorrow is Wednesday, classes will be in session. Get going and good night."

With those instructions loosely in mind, the boys made their way up the left-hand stairwell to the first door on their left. Outside that door was a plaque that read "First Year Dormitory" and inside were five four-poster beds, each with a trunk at the bottom. Martin, Teddy, and Charlie were all placed in a row, while Joey Nigellus and Adam Westinburgh were next to each other against the opposite wall. Not bothering to change, all five boys found their beds and collapsed in exhaustion.

Well, that is, all except for Teddy. He took the time to go to his trunk and pull out his picture, the one of him and his parents, with his dad's chocolate frog card shoved into the frame. Setting it on his bedside table, Teddy smiled. _Gryffindor_, he thought as he drifted off into sleep.

**A/N: Hello again! Don't always expect fast updates from me and also note that this is my usual chapter length. And they tend to grow longer, so it takes me longer to actually write everything. I actually wrote half this chapter then started completely from scratch with it and I'm rather content with how it's going.**

**Reviews! You are really wonderful for reviewing and literally made me want to write this faster (hence the really fast update) and here it's all done! Let me just address the individuals who went out of their way (actually it's a button and less than 50 words) to give me a wonderful review and make me feel awesome! Like, what did you think of the sorting? TELL ME TELL ME TELL ME! Woo, calm down there, Jacks… haha**

**Jadely31: they're 11, so no worries about a relationship budding other than friendships! Teddy would have done really well in Hufflepuff I think. He's got the best of everyone who raised him.**

**Barricade Butterfly: I did the math on this one! So Teddy was 19 in the epilogue and James was 12, a 7 year age difference. Albus is one year younger than James. Therefore, when Teddy was 11 (subtract 8 from age), James was 4, therefore Albus was 3 and Lily was 1 since she was two years under Albus. Thanks also for the note about getting into Teddy's head, tried to do that a bit better for you this chapter, since that chapter was half my normal length.**

**Alright, who knows when I'll update again? Hopefully soon, but sometimes I get discouraged… Leave a review, enjoy this almost 5,000 word chapter and I hope we'll be sharing a story together again soon. Until next time, my pretties!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Let me just disclaim this chapter as not being at all possible without the insanely amazing mind of J.K. Rowling! All of what I write wouldn't be possible without her amazing writing that started everything! I pretty much own nothing…**

Chapter 3

Teddy never intended to sleep through the alarm clock, but he did. His wake up was Charlie jumping onto his bed on top of him, yelling "WAKE UP!"

"Darn it!" thought Teddy, who had thought he had gotten away from people jumping on him to wake him up. "What in Merlin's name, Charlie?"

Charlie laughed and got off Teddy. "If we don't head to the Great Hall soon we'll miss breakfast. Get off your lazy bum and let's go!" The boy was practically bouncing at the thought of breakfast, Teddy observed. Looking over at the clock, he groaned, it having just dawned on him that the non-magic item wouldn't work at Hogwarts.

Groaning and rolling out of bed, Teddy watched with amusement as Charlie jumped on the still-sleeping Martin, who barely moved until he began to be hit with pillows by Charlie. Pulling on fresh robes and tying a new Gryffindor tie around his neck, Teddy felt ready to take on the world.

Martin, having finally (and quite literally) rolled out of bed, grumbled and groaned as he dressed, and grouchily told Charlie to "stuff it." Charlie protested that he was merely trying to help, but Martin was having none of it.

"All right, come on guys!" Teddy said cheerily. "Let's go get those time tables and some breakfast!" Charlie grinned right on behind him, but Martin merely stretched and trudged on behind the other two.

Exiting the common room, the boys followed the flow of people to find the Great Hall. "Hopefully they give us maps," grumbled Martin, obviously not a morning person.

"That would be helpful," agreed Charlie. "I'm gonna get lost within five minutes in this place!" Of course, as he said this he was not paying attention where he was going. It shouldn't have surprised him that he barrelled into a girl with a Ravenclaw tie and nearly toppled down the rest of the stairs.

Laughing, the fall seemed to perk up Martin. However Teddy immediately helped the two up, realising the girl was Avery and that she was with a group of other girls on their way to the Great Hall. "Sweet Merlin, that was hilarious!" shouted Martin as Charlie shoved him lightly into the wall. "That was graceful, Prewett!"

"Can it, Dearborn!" Charlie joked, as the two headed off for the Great Hall, apparently assuming Teddy would follow.

"Hello there, Teddy," Avery said, still bewildered at being run into by a slightly larger and very boisterous boy. "Um, your hair is magenta…"

Blushing cherry red, Teddy tried to change the colour back to sandy blonde. This was a struggle, as it wanted to go as red as his face. Eventually he succeeded and he started walking to the Great Hall again. Avery and her group of friends walked with him, the other girls looking at his hair in amusement.

"Well, this is Alexis and Leah," Avery introduced. The other two girls quickly took their glances from his hair to smile. "Girls, this is Teddy Lupin."

The girl whose name was Alexis stretched out her hand to shake, while the other girl looked at him. Leah made Teddy feel like he was a freak show at that muggle circus that Ginny and Harry had once taken him to. It was bothering him so much when they reached the Great Hall that he asked, "Is something wrong?"

Bold-faced, she replied, "Nothing at all. Pleased to meet you. Come on, Avery. Let's go to our table." Avery and Alexis waved as they were literally dragged to the Ravenclaw table. Teddy walked to the Gryffindor table, scratching his head.

Sitting down at the table across from Martin and Charlie, Teddy noted their conversation. "But everyone knows that if chocolate frogs were battle cards half of the cards' pictures would walk right out!" Charlie argued.

"That is a common misconception," Martin rebuked. "How many of the people on your Battle of Hogwarts cards have either 'auror' or 'Order of the Phoenix' listed on them?"

Teddy couldn't help but chime in as he shoved a piece of toast in his mouth. "E'ry one knows they on'y fought 'cause they ha' ta'"

Charlie beamed. "Ha! Teddy agrees with me!" Martin ate a forkful of scrambled eggs and glared. "That means it must be right because he actually know the people!"

Martin swallowed to argue, but Professor Longbottom swooped in carrying a stack of time tables. He smiled at Teddy. "Hey little Lupin, how's Hogwarts treating you?"

Teddy smiled back. "It's been great, Nev- Professor Longbottom."

The professor laughed that Teddy's hiccup at almost calling him by his first name, which Teddy was accustomed to calling him. "Alright then, you boys are Martin Dearborn and Charlie Prewett, correct?"

Martin nodded, Charlie reverting to his original quiet state. "Yes sir. I'm Martin and this is Charlie."

"Excellent! I'm Professor Longbottom, Herbology," he beamed. "That means I can give you these…" He handed each boy a time table and looked teasingly at Teddy. "Do try to be on time for your classes, can't have you running in late like Harry on the first day." The professor then winked and walked to another group of first years as the boys scanned their time tables with interest.

"So, Potions first huh?" said Charlie. Martin shuddered.

"I heard that the position always goes to corrupt teachers or mean teachers. The last one, Slughorn, he had a 'Slug Club' where all the people related to famous people basically mooched to him for good graces and grades." Teddy rolled his eyes.

"Martin, the teacher can't be that bad. My godbrother, Albus, his middle name is Severus and that's because of Harry's old potions teacher." Charlie's mouth dropped open, revealing the half-chewed cereal he had been eating while Martin looked bewildered.

"But, Teddy," Charlie said slowly. "All of the books on the war say that Snape and your godfather never got along…"

Teddy shrugged. "I just know what Harry told me, and he says that Professor Snape was an extremely brave man." He took another bite of toast.

"So potions, then History of Magic. After that we have lunch." Martin groaned. "We have to get through two whole classes before lunch…"

Charlie laughed at him and mock-whispered to Teddy across the table, "Two sickles says he won't make it."

Also laughing, Teddy replied, "I don't think I can take that offer, mate. I doubt he'll make it too." Martin threw a piece of toast at each of them as they began to laugh their heads off.

After the two regained their composure, the three headed off for Potions. "In the dungeons?" asked Teddy as they walked, heads stuck in the time table.

"Apparently…" observed Martin. The three barely noticed when they were joined by their dorm-mates, Joey and Adam.

"I heard that's where the Slytherin common room is," said Charlie. "That's a scary thought…" Teddy elbowed him. "What?! I'm just saying…"

"I know, mate," Teddy replied. "They have a histo-oof" Teddy stumbled as he was rammed from behind by a somewhat large body.

"Watch where you're going, freak!" growled the voice of the body that had just rammed into him. Charlie and Martin were also stumbling, as two other boys also loomed over them.

Regaining his feet, Teddy's hair shone bright purple. Martin leaned on his shoulder, as though falling over again, and whispered, "Hair…" Teddy promptly returned his hair to normal colour and the three turned to face the other boys.

"Peter Wilkes, remember it," he growled. Teddy thought he looked way too large to be just 11. He and his cronies wore Slytherin robes, and Teddy internally groaned. Wilkes continued, "This is Nott and Burke. Steer clear."

Wilkes, Nott, and Burke continued walking, Teddy noted, down the stairs to the dungeon classroom. They were followed by a small gaggle of Slytherin girls.

Teddy overheard one of the girls saying, "That's my brother, the one who faced down the freak!" as the girls passed.

"Hey, Teddy?" asked Charlie. Teddy turned to face the small ginger. "Are we gonna have to put up with them all year?"

Martin laughed and clapped a hand on Charlie's shoulder. Teddy grinned as Martin said, "Darn right, mate!"

"Come on, let's not let a group of bullies get us down," Teddy chimed. With a "here here" from Martin and a nod from Charlie, they walked down the stairs. Once they got there, they saw a group of people standing outside of the dungeon door. Well, two groups. One of Gryffindors and one of Slytherins…

The three gravitated toward the other first year Gryffindors, but Teddy couldn't help but overhear the conversation within the Slytherin group.

"Now, my father has been complaining to the ministry about this new auror program they've been implementing and I quite agree," said Wilkes. "To be chasing down the fates of the remaining missing persons from the Second Wizarding War is simply a waste of resources!"

A girl beside him laughed. "Isn't that the truth? I just worry that they'll start searching houses."

"Oh, sweet little Annika Flint…" Wilkes replied. "Everyone knows that a law was implemented against that years ago. My father says they can't search homes without proof or testimony."

"That's a big word…" Annika replied quietly.

Teddy's blood was beginning to boil. He heard Harry talking about the changes all the time and Teddy thought they were great. Finding missing people, or at least what happened to them, was important.

"Did you all hear that they're even returning mudbloods that fled the country? It's preposterous! That muggle-loving half-blood Potter is behind this." Wilkes just wouldn't stop. He was on a roll and Teddy hated it. Martin and Charlie had already joined the other Gryffindors and were talking about something or another. Teddy didn't hear it. All Teddy could hear was the words of Wilkes. "I honestly don't care if he 'saved us all' from the Dark Lord, the Prophet is just full of bloody pro-muggle propaganda now!"

That was the final straw. Teddy began to march toward the group, one hand making a fist and drawing back. He got maybe halfway there before a hand grabbed his fist. "What on earth?" asked the girl who held his fist. "That's a prime way to get a detention! And lose us house points!"

The girl, who was much stronger than her tiny size gave away, dragged him over to the Gryffindor group. Teddy recognized her as Claire Dewey from the sorting the night before. "He was bad-mouthing my father!"

Claire glared at him. "Were you even thinking? Punching a guy on the first day?" Teddy looked down and she answered her own question. "No, you weren't. Now turn on that brain, Teddy Lupin."

"Why do people always know my name without asking around here?" Teddy said to himself.

Of course, Claire answered, "Because your hair is bright red on the tips and you're the only metamorphmagus in the school. Your eyes flickered colours during the sorting," Claire blushed a bit.

"Well, you're Claire, right?" Teddy asked. She nodded. "Well nice to meet you. Now let me go sock Wilkes."

Claire looked like she wanted to protest but then the dungeon door to the classroom swung open, admitting the first years to their first Hogwarts class. A tall, dark woman professor stood in the middle of the classroom. She watched in quiet as the students filed in.

Teddy was stricken by quiet as he passed, the woman seemed to demand quiet simply by her presence. Charlie and Martin took one table, leaving Teddy to sit in front of them. Claire plopped down beside him, as her friends sat in front of him.

Once everyone was seated, Teddy heard the professor quietly snort. "I see the usual Slytherin-Gryffindor rivalry is alive you all as well," she said, scanning the room. As Teddy looked around, he saw that all of the Gryffindor students sat on the right, closest to the door, while the Slytherins were all on the left.

Shaking her head, the professor introduced herself. "I am Professor Laurel and it has been elected that you will be trained in the advanced art of potion-making. I understand some of you have heard from parents or family members that this class is for those who do not seek good. But I can assure you that as much death as you can create in my class, there will always be more wonder." Professor Laurel smirked. "If you brew correctly. Now, open your textbooks to page three and let's begin. The art of brewing!"

Claire opened her textbook and pulled out parchment, sitting at rapt attention beside Teddy. Teddy was about to begin taking notes when a piece of parchment hit him in the back of the head.

_Who's the chick? –Martin_

Teddy turned around to see his friends snickering at their attempt to subtly pass notes. He rolled his eyes.

_This is Claire, in our house. Shouldn't you be taking notes? –Teddy_

Once the coast was clear (Laurel was writing on the chalk board) Teddy tossed the note behind him. He heard a stifled cough from beside him. Claire had noticed. Teddy picked up his quill and began writing the notes Laurel was giving when another piece of paper was lobbed at his head.

Martin and Charlie had much worse timing than Teddy. The paper hit him just as Laurel turned around. She narrowed a glare at the three boys. Teddy turned quite red and his friends ducked their heads.

Professor Laurel walked over and picked up the paper. She returned to the front of the class, but of course that wasn't the end of it. "She's kind of pretty. Did you call dibs?" she read aloud.

Claire gasped and turned around, glaring at Charlie and Martin. Teddy also glared at them. Why oh why did they have to not think!

"Young men, what are your names?" she asked.

"Charlie Prewett," was mumbled by Charlie. The professor raised her eyebrows. Teddy piped up.

"I'm Teddy Lupin. I'm just trying to take notes, professor." Professor Laurel acknowledged him and turned her glare to Martin.

"Um… Martin Dearborn here…" he said quietly.

"Yes, now, Mr Dearborn, Mr Prewett, may I ask who was throwing papers to Mr Lupin during my class?"

The two looked at each other, a silent agreement saying they wouldn't rat on each other. Professor Laurel looked exasperated.

"If one of you will not come forward, I will be forced to give you both detention." Martin remained steadfast, but Teddy could tell that Charlie was starting to wane.

Apparently, so could Professor Laurel. "Mr Prewett, is there something you would like to tell me?"

"No!" he squeaked. She raised an eyebrow at him and Charlie caved. "Martin was writing them but I threw it." Deciding not to throw Teddy under the bus too, he added, "Teddy didn't pass any though!"

Looking half satisfied and half exasperated, Professor Laurel said, "Five points each will be taken from Gryffindor for Mr Prewett and Mr Dearborn's funny business. Consider this your warning. Now, let's return to the notes. The importance of following instructions!"

The rest of the class continued uneventfully. Charlie and Martin were too terrified of Laurel and too embarrassed at losing points to continue with passing notes. Once class was over, a loud bell was heard chiming from the high tower. Charlie and Martin were the first ones out the door. Teddy doubted they heard the homework, to read about the essence of dittany in "Magical Herbs and Fungi."

As Teddy got up to leave, Claire turned on him with a glare. "Did you?" she demanded.

Teddy looked at her confused. "Um… did I what?"

She sighed. "Do what they asked if you did in the note thing they threw at you!" Claire crossed her arms.

"No!" Teddy yelped. "Harry says that if I date before fifteen, he'll cut off my nose!" Claire relaxed in relief, then tensed as her friends giggled behind her.

"Alright, well… Bye!" Claire walked out of the classroom with her friends. Teddy sighed and ran out to catch up with Martin and Charlie. The boys had a small break between classes, so Teddy assumed they were in the Gryffindor common room.

His assumption was right. "What was that about?" Teddy demanded as he approached his friends.

"Uh… hey Teddy…" Charlie said. Martin also looked flustered. "We were just joking around. Martin wrote it!"

"Way to throw me under the Knight Bus," Martin mumbled. Teddy turned his gaze to Martin.

"Dibs?" he asked. "Really?"

"What? She's pretty…" Martin defended. "And she looks smart."

Teddy rolled his eyes. "Glasses don't mean smart, twat."

"Hey! Don't call me a twat, twat!"

"Then don't act like a twat, twat!"

"Uh guys!" Charlie interjected. "We have to go to History of Magic you know…" As the two continued to glare at each other, Charlie grabbed their arms and started to pull.

"Alright, Chuck! We're coming!" said Martin as he snatched up his bag. The three headed out of the portrait hole and made it to class in the nick of time.

"Hello students," said the ghost who stood at the front of the room as the three sat down.

"That's Professor Binns!" whispered Charlie. Teddy nodded and Martin continued to be bitter about being caught.

"Today we will begin learning about the founding of the Magical Community," the professor droned and turned his back to write on the white-board behind him.

"Nothing gets past this guy, huh?" Teddy heard Joey say behind him. Teddy grinned and turned around.

"Isn't that the truth." The two smirked together and Teddy turned back around. It wasn't long into Binns' droning when Teddy felt his eyelids start to drop. Next to Charlie, Martin was dead asleep. Teddy attempted to take notes, but eventually he caved. He couldn't keep his eyes open.

The next thing Teddy knew, he was being jolted awake by the sound of the bell. Martin bolted up, saying, "I'm up!" This made half the class laugh, drowning out the end of Binns' last sentence.

"Thank you for your attention," the ghost professor said. "Class dismissed."

"Will you two stop fighting?" asked Charlie once they entered the corridor. Teddy considered it for a second.

"I'll forgive if he'll forget," said Teddy.

"I'll forget, with pleasure," responded Martin.

"Awesome! Friends again!" and before either of the two could react, Charlie began to sing… "Together again! Man it's great to be-"

Martin clamped a hand over his mouth as they walked, exasperated. "What on earth, Charlie?!"

Teddy snickered. "The Muppets Take Manhattan from 1984. It's a muggle movie," Teddy explained.

"What's a movie?" asked Martin, releasing Charlie's mouth. Charlie and Teddy exchanged a look and the rest of the way to the Great Hall was spent explaining motion pictures.

"Now, we have electricity wired to our house, and Harry lets us watch movies all the time!" Teddy explained as he piled his plate with food.

"That is so awesome!" Charlie said. "I only get to watch movies when I go to my gran's house for the weekend. We have muggle weekends sometimes and they're really fun!"

"Wait wait wait," Martin said. "Electricity is…?"

"Oh, it's what muggles use to operate stuff. Like machines that wash dishes and clothes run on electricity. It's like magic, but with science!" Teddy explained.

"They use it for TV's and radios too! And their cameras run on it, but the pictures don't move," Charlie added.

"Weird," said Martin, shoving a sandwich into his mouth as his friends discussed their favourite muggle movies between bites.

"So what do you think herbology will be like?" asked Martin, pulling his friends from their conversation.

"I dunno," said Charlie. "Plants I guess…"

"Well duh!" replied Martin. "But what will the professor be like? They all seem like characters here."

"It will be Professor Longbottom, the one we met earlier," Teddy said. "He comes to dinner sometimes, he's really quite cool."

"Psh, a cool professor, I highly doubt- wait dinner?" Charlie said, his train of thought interrupted.

"He's friends with Harry… Comes to Weasley family Sunday dinners sometimes," Teddy explained. Charlie nodded while Martin frowned.

"Does he play favourites? I mean, he's head of Gryffindor so will we get an advantage?" Martin asked. Teddy shook his head and Charlie's jaw dropped suddenly.

"Professor Longbottom led the students during the Second Wizarding War here at Hogwarts!" explained Charlie, it having just dawned on him.

"That's me," said a voice from behind the boys. The three jumped and turned around to see the Professor right there. "But right now I'm just Professor Longbottom, Herbology teacher extraordinaire! Now hurry up, or you'll be late." He grinned slightly and continued out the Great Hall door to where the greenhouses must be.

Charlie's eyes followed him in obvious awe. "He's a Battle of Hogwarts hero…"

"Yeah, and he's right about hurrying," said Teddy, swinging his bag onto his shoulder. "Let's get going."

The three ran outside, Martin reading off the time table, "Greenhouse four!" The air was crisp, but the three loved it. Not really watching where they were going, they almost ran into Avery literally again.

"Hey, Avery," said Teddy between gasps of air. Running was fun, but tiring.

"Hello Teddy," she said cordially. Martin looked at her oddly.

"Something wrong, Ave?" Charlie asked.

Avery's friend Alexis glared at him, as she had before, and Leah had an odd look on her face. The two flanked Avery, as though defending her. "No, nothing's wrong Charlie. I'm going to Herbology is all. Come on girls, let's get a good spot! That professor is dreamy!"

The three giggled and walked into the greenhouse. Teddy couldn't help but think that the exchange was odd at best. Martin and Charlie exchanged a disgusted look at the thought of Professor Longbottom being called "dreamy."

Teddy, Charlie, and Martin walked into the greenhouse after recovering from the odd encounter. Sitting down at a station toward the middle of the class, Professor Longbottom was in plain sight. So were Avery and her gang.

Once everyone was seated, the Professor began to lecture on a plant called dittany. Martin was obviously not paying much attention. He leaned over and whispered to Teddy and Charlie, "Just look at Avery and those other girls… what happened?"

Charlie looked over and stifled a laugh. Teddy was afraid to look. But he did. The boys all looked away, hiding grins in their hands. Avery and her friends were in lala land, leaning on their hands as though in a dream. They nodded whenever the professor finished a sentence. Martin was on the verge of cracking up.

Teddy rolled his eyes and recovered, taking notes on dittany as Longbottom talked. Martin flung a paper airplane at the girls and the started, looking around.

"Um, ladies…" Professor Longbottom addressed them. He obviously had noticed their lack of attention. "These notes will be quite important in the upcoming weeks in both this class and your potions class. It would do well to take notes, rather than to daydream."

After his saying this, the girls blushed. But Professor Longbottom had already resumed teaching. Teddy and Charlie had to stifle their laughs again as the girls hurriedly pulled out parchment and started scribbling the notes. Martin sat back, looking right smug.

On their way out of the greenhouse after class, Teddy and Martin were barged between by Avery and Leah, Alexis not far behind. Alexis stopped right in front of Martin. "I know that was you, moron. My cousin told me about potions."

Charlie looked like he wanted to bolt, and Martin looked like he was going to say something stupid. So Teddy did the only thing he knew to do. He grabbed his friends' arms and dragged them away. As they walked, he yelled over his shoulder, "Nice seeing you, Avery! Take care, guys!"

Once they entered the Entrance Hall, Martin yanked his arm free. "What was that for?" he asked.

Pulling his arm away, Charlie answered, "You were gonna do something stupid, so Teddy saved your hide."

Teddy nodded. "Charms next, boys?"

Martin shrugged. "Fine, but those girls really are annoying."

"You got that right!" chuckled Charlie.

And so, the three went to Charms. Another class with Ravenclaw, the girls sat on the opposite end of the room from them. This made Martin's smug expression return. It turned to a raucous smile as the professor walked in.

Teddy remembered him as Professor Carter. The man was very good friends with Charlie Weasley and had come to the Weasley family dinners once or twice. Martin leaned over to Teddy and whispered, "What in Merlin's name is he wearing?"

"Bright purple robes, Martin," said Charlie with a snicker.

"Good afternoon class!" smiled the flamboyant man.

"Afternoon Professor," chorused back.

"Now, take out your wands! We are going to learn a technique. Not a spell, but important to many. Wands out! Come now!" Professor Carter was a very bouncy man, smiling all around and instructing where instruction was needed.

Martin obviously was going to struggle with the class. Professor Carter was helping him personally as everyone practiced the technique. "Now, Mr Dearborn, not that hard. It's a simple swish and flick." It was a good thing the professor was patient. Charlie had gotten it his second try and Teddy had been shortly after. But half an hour later, Martin was still being too crisp. Or something. Teddy didn't quite get what made the other boy struggle.

"Smoother, Mr Dearborn," Professor Carter was instructing when the bell rang to signal the end of class.

"Bother! Wait, homework!" He shouted as the class packed up. Several Gryffindors groaned. "Practice our technique! Many of you have it, but make sure it does not slip your mind! Right, dismissed!"

Charlie and Teddy followed as Martin bolted out of the classroom. "That was embarrassing…" Martin said as he hurried to Gryffindor tower. "That Claire girl was laughing at me, I just know it!"

Teddy rolled his eyes. "Claire was laughing because of something a friend said, I'm sure," he consoled. "You just need to relax."

"I can't relax with their eyes on me! Gillyweed!" They had reached the common room quickly, the charms classroom was very close.

"Anyone up for wizard's chess?" asked Charlie, already heading up the stairs to grab his board and set.

Martin sighed. "Yeah, wait up!" and he ran up the stairs after Charlie.

About two hours had passed. The boys had taken a dinner break, where Teddy was nearly tripped while passing the Slytherin table, and were now resuming the world's longest single game of wizard's chess.

"And Martin's queen is taken by the rook of Charlie! What ever will he do?" Teddy commentated as his friends played with deep concentration.

Grinning, Martin moved his knight. "Check-mate, mate!" he shouted. The common room chatter died down for a minute, before coming right back up.

"Merlin's beard, that was a long game!" said Teddy.

"Rematch?" asked Charlie.

"Bring it!" replied Martin.

Teddy groaned as the next game was picked up. But he was content. All in all, it had been a very good day.

**A/N: I'll try not to write a novel this time but thanks to all of my readers and especially to my followers! I know, it's been almost a month I think but hey, that's a typical writing time with work and school and etc.**

**Again, I'll make this brief! Thanks go out to reviewer Jemennuie for your feedback! Definitely some criticism I have taken into account!**

**To Miette in the Rain, a huge thank you for the review! I'm glad you're hooked on reading, I hope I have more time to be hooked on writing!**

**If you guys like, give me a follow or a favourite! (I use an app so I can download and update fanfictions to my phone, it's from google play and you can synch your account!) Love you all and until next time, happy reading!**


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